Luke 12:38

12:38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, blessed are those slaves!

Luke 13:9

13:9 Then if it bears fruit next year, very well, but if not, you can cut it down.’”


sn The second or third watch of the night would be between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. on a Roman schedule and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on a Jewish schedule. Luke uses the four-watch schedule of the Romans in Acts 12:4, so that is more probable here. Regardless of the precise times of the watches, however, it is clear that the late-night watches when a person is least alert are in view here.

tn Grk “finds (them) thus”; but this has been clarified in the translation by referring to the status (“alert”) mentioned in v. 37.

tn Grk “blessed are they”; the referent (the watchful slaves, v. 37) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

tn This is a third class condition in the Greek text. The conjunction καί (kai, a component of κάν [kan]) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

tn Grk “the coming [season].”

tn The phrase “very well” is supplied in the translation to complete the elided idea, but its absence is telling.

tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text, showing which of the options is assumed.